Parveen Babi ate only eggs fearing tampering from FBI, reveals Pooja Bedi

Late actress Parveen Babi was among the highest-paid stars of the Indian film industry in the 1970s and 80s. However, in the later part of her life, she struggled with mental health issues and often made headlines for the same. The actress had briefly dated Kabir Bedi. Now, Pooja Bedi, Kabir’s daughter from his first marriage, has opened up about her interaction with Parveen, where she discovered that the actress was eating only eggs for her meals.

Pooja recalls Parveen Babi losing sanity

Pooja Bedi recalled her time spent with Parveen Babi during an interaction with Siddharth Kannan. “I remember that many years later, she had come back to India. Everyone was saying that something was wrong with her. I went to her home; she opened the door and looked so different. She had put on a lot of weight and had wild hair. She was so excited to see me and said, ‘Pooja! Hi! Come in.’ Then she gave me a big hug, and we were sitting and chatting, and everything was completely normal.”

Pooja added, “Suddenly, she said, ‘I’m sorry that I can’t offer you food because I only eat eggs.’ I asked her why, and she replied, ‘This is the one thing they can’t tamper with.’ I asked, ‘Who?’ She said, ‘The Secret Service or the FBI.’ She told me she doesn’t buy makeup from the markets because someone contaminates it. I asked, ‘How would someone know what you are going to buy and when?’ She said, ‘They know everything.’ I immediately realized that something was seriously wrong. I got really concerned and confused at that point.”

About Parveen Babi

At the age of 23, Parveen Babi began her modelling career in 1972 and landed her first film opposite cricketer Salim Durrani in Charitra (1973). The film failed at the box office, but Parveen grabbed attention.

In 1975, Parveen played Anita opposite Amitabh Bachchan in the blockbuster Deewar. Her bold portrayal, including scenes where she drinks and smokes, broke traditional norms for Bollywood heroines.

Her song Jawaani Janeman from Namak Halal became an anthem in the 80s. In an era when “modern” women were often criticized, Parveen embraced her individuality and rarely played the traditional sari-clad wife.

At the peak of her career, Parveen abruptly left the film industry and was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. She lived a reclusive life in her later years and passed away alone in her Mumbai apartment on January 20, 2005. Her death was discovered a day later.